


Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Sexy Beast

by prongslittleflower (violetsareblonde)



Series: Pirates of the Caribbean - Taylor and Maria [1]
Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2020-10-13 10:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20581010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetsareblonde/pseuds/prongslittleflower
Summary: The lights dimmed even more, till just the screen was lighting up, getting brighter and brighter with every passing moment. “Ok, something is seriously off here. Let’s just get up and go back to the lobby. Maybe there was a gas leak or,” Maria cut off, letting out a scream as suddenly we pitched forward from our seats, grabbing each other’s hands as we fell for what seemed like an eternity until everything went black.*Cross-Posted on FF.Net by me!*





	1. Blacksmiths and Berets

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: Well, well, well. If it isn’t me, back again, with some very important updates to one of my most popular stories. It’s so weird to think that I’m coming back to this after 12 years, but I’m lacking motivation in the PotC department, so I figure what better way to get my mojo back than rewriting and bringing Curse of the Sexy Beast back to new life! Nothing in the way of major plot points is going to change; I’m just hoping to not cringe when I reread the story. Please, enjoy the updated version, and I really cannot thank all of you lovely readers enough for the love and the reviews that you’ve shown this story and me. I was only 16 when I started writing this, and you all showed me showed me support when I was first starting out, making me the writer I am today. 
> 
> Now, enjoy!
> 
> *Cross-posted under the same name/username as my profile on ff.net*

_Chapter One:_

_Blacksmiths and Berets_

“I _hate_ Elizabeth Swann.” Those were the first words out of the mouth of my best friend, Maria, the moment I opened the door to my house. I couldn’t contain my laughter as I pulled the door wider, letting her inside and trying to not get knocked over by the force of her large, corseted gown.

“How’d you even drive in that thing?” I asked, moving through to the kitchen, where I sat down at the bar and watched Maria maneuver. “By the way, what’d she do now to bring upon your wrath?”

“Listen, Taylor, what else could it be for? I’ve been doing a bit of pre-watching before the marathon tonight, and I’ve come to the overriding conclusion that she is just a complete bitch.” Maria reached high, trying for a bottle of water on the top shelf of the snack cabinet, then sighed when she was restricted by the sleeves of her dress. “Remind me again why I dressed like this, and you dressed as the pirate?”

I smiled at my friend, jumping down to the ground, praying my boots hadn’t scuffed my mother’s hardwood floor. I smoothed a hand dramatically over my very careful rendition of a female pirate (tight black leggings, white billowy shirt tucked in under a brown leather corset, black lace-up boots, complete with a wide-brimmed hat and peacock feather) and walked over to snag the water bottle for her. She rolled her eyes at me, and walked into the other room, throwing herself down on the couch.

“I’ve always dreamed of turning into a pirate myself, my friend. And you, on the other hand, need to be a nice respectable woman for our young William to love.” I pointed at her good-naturedly, and she tossed her now empty water bottle at me. I dodged it, spinning on my heel slightly, before tripping ungracefully into the armchair. “Besides, you know if we didn’t dress up tonight we’d be hitting ourselves for missing an opportune moment.”

“I know, but this stupid corset is killing me. Though I do love this dress.” Crossing her arms over her chest and sinking further into the couch, she turned her full attention to the other matter at hand. “Back to ice queen Elizabeth Swann, I’m making it clear right now that throughout both movies tonight I will be absolutely heckling her on screen. I mean, she kills Jack, that’s not acceptable.”

“Point taken; though really if we wanted to do something about it we’d have to write to Disney, and I don’t know if that cute little mouse can read.” I laughed at my own joke, and we settled in for a few minutes of scrolling through tv channels as we awaited a classic summer night. Every year, around the anniversary of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, our local theater would show the classic movie, encouraging those who loved it to show up in popcorn for a fun night of comradery and the beautiful visage of Captain Jack Sparrow on the big screen.

Last year, Maria and I had missed it because of extenuating circumstances, but this year, things would be different. I had spent all day curling my straight blonde hair into a complicated braid, ironing my pirate garb to hang just right, and getting the angle of my belt and hat to lay just so. Maria, in turn, had left her loose, dark Italian curls to hang around her face in a fetching way, while the light green of her slim-fitted 18th century dress complimented her fair skin and blue eyes nicely. It was Maria and I’s last summer together before we left each other for college, and we were determined to make the best of things.

Maria and I had been best friends since we were 4 years old and had fallen for Jack Sparrow and Will Turner at the young age of 13 when the first movie had been released. And that love had only continued as the movies came out. Tonight, we would pack in to watch Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man’s Chest and would eagerly await the third movie that was to come.

I looked at the clock, and then Maria, who was dozing slightly on the couch, always one to get a quick nap in if the opportunity arose. “So,” I spoke a little louder than necessary, startling her away, “Do you think we should head on out? I want to get good seats.” The excitement was beginning to rise in me, and I couldn’t stop the grin that was spreading quickly into maniacal territory.

“You know what, that sounds like exactly the right idea.” Maria said, then she put both her arms out in front of me. “Now, get me up.” Her Jack Sparrow impression was spot on as per usual, and I laughed as I pulled her forward, sending us both reeling a little as our weight leveled out with the hard tug I had given her.

We stuffed her dress, even though it was a slimmer cut than most, there were still a lot of skirts, into my little blue car, and drove our short distance to the theater. The parking lot was fairly full, and I thanked my best friend in my head for her ability to think ahead and to have already have gotten us tickets.

“Let’s get our seats first, and then one of us can go out for the popcorn once they’re secured.” Maria was almost always on my wave-length, and I nodded along with her, quickly climbing out of the car and locking the doors. I pushed my hat a little further down my head to stop it from being blown away and hurried back towards the air-conditioned space of the movie theater. I may have been hoping to look like a pirate, but I wasn’t hoping to sweat like one.

As we skipped the crowded lobby, I handed our tickets to the employee behind the counter, who scanned us in and gave us a vaguely unenthusiastic ‘have a nice night.’ Maria and I exchanged a glance and wandered toward the back of the building where the Pirates logo was glowing and beckoning us.

“The gold calls to us,” I muttered to my friend, who laughed and rolled her eyes at me, opening the door to the dimly lit theater and motioning me to go ahead of her.

Once inside, I allowed my eyes to adjust to the meager light, feeling slightly weirded out as I noticed that there wasn’t a single other person in the room with us. It was cold, and felt almost damp, and I shivered in the darkness. Making our way down the stairs, I picked a row that looked like it had the best view and took my seat in the middle.

“So much for getting here early. We could have gotten our popcorn,” Maria grumbled, pulling her arms closer to herself. “And why is it so bloody cold in here?”

“I’m not going to lie to you; this is pretty freaky.” I craned my neck around to see if I could see any light coming from the projection room, but there was nothing – no previews to be seen, and the only light coming from the flickering stairs. “I wonder where everyone is?”

“Does it not feel like we’re in the twilight zone or something? I swear if this is some weird Jumanji shit I’m going to lose my cool,” Maria’s voice shook slightly, nerves beginning to take over. She started gathering her dress, making to stand up, when I caught a glimpse of the screen and stopped her.

“Look, it’s all good. There’s the beginning of the movie.” I spoke with more confidence than I believed in at the moment, but I was starting to feel a bit woozy, and was ready to just settle in and watch the movie. There was a slight tugging at the bottom of my feet, like something had hold of my ankles, and my heart was racing.

The lights dimmed even more, till just the screen was lighting up, getting brighter and brighter with every passing moment. “Ok, something is seriously off here. Let’s just get up and go back to the lobby. Maybe there was a gas leak or,” Maria cut off, letting out a scream as suddenly we pitched forward from our seats, grabbing each other’s hands as we fell for what seemed like an eternity until everything went black.

\--

“Taylor? Taylor.” I felt someone splash me lightly on the face and blinked my eyes open, a bright light seeming to sear my retinas into non-existence. Wiping at my face, I sat up from the soft ground, looking around and blinking rapidly.

The first thing I noticed that we were sitting on a beach, the soft sand beneath me and in my hair telling me that Maria had splashed me with seawater. The second thing I noticed was that I was blazing hot, quickly turning red in the face. And the third thing I noticed was that somehow this was the most interactive dream I’d ever had.

“Did I pass out? This is the most realistic dream ever. What in the hell is going on?” I asked, turning to look at my friend, and noticing the large dock and ship behind her. In bold, dark letters, the name _Interceptor_ was written. I felt suddenly parched and over-heated.

“Taylor, I’m going to ask you this one time. Is this a dream or is this some sort of warped reality where we have suddenly found ourselves in the cinematic universe of Pirates of the Caribbean?” Maria was looking like she wanted to panic, her face pinched tight and her hands clutching frantically at her dress.

“I don’t want to look around, but I’m fairly certain that we are indeed in the Pirates of the Caribbean universe.” I swallowed hard, finally standing up and brushing the sand from my bottoms, thankful that we were in the same clothes we’d been wearing back at home. My hat was keeping my face cooler, while my braid kept my hair from my eyes. Maria was definitely not faring as well.

I helped her up, and we tried to maneuver up the small hill that led to the dock of the _Interceptor_, keeping our cover behind a few barrels so no one could see us. “We need to assess the situation. One – we’re in a fake 18th century Port Royal. Two – we don’t know how real this all is and if people can see or hear us. And three – we need to very quickly find out what part of the movie we’re in because if not we’re going to cause some real problems.”

“But we’re definitely going to insert ourselves into the movie, right?” I asked, my heart pounding at the thought of meeting the infamous man of my dreams. And Gibbs. Man, how I couldn’t wait to meet Gibbs.

“We’re absolutely inserting ourselves into this movie.” Maria affirmed, and then, as luck would have it, we saw a couple of soldiers heading down the dock towards us. I recognized Murtogg and Mullroy almost immediately, my excitement almost palpable. “Perfect timing.”

“Quite a task, being responsible for such a grand ship,” Murtogg was saying, elbowing his fellow guard with a cheeky, proud grin.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to prove ourselves, to be sure.” Mullroy said, and I shared a glance with Maria, knowing that they were going to epically fail at this job, just like numerous other ones along the way.

Standing to my full height of 5’6, I stepped from behind the barrel, hearing Maria follow behind me. “’Scuse me, gentlemen? Could you point a couple of ladies in the direction of the blacksmith shop? My father told us to meet him there.” I tilted my hat at the two soldiers, who fumbled with their guns as we startled them with our presence. Or, I suppose, it could be that we had really just scared them by crawling out from behind two barrels on a dock that was off-limits to civilians.

“This dock is off-limits to civilians.” Murtogg said, and I rolled my eyes from beneath my hat at the repetitive notion.

“Yes, but if you’d point us in the right direction we’d be happily on our way.” Maria said, a serene smile on her face. The two soldiers shared a sneaky look between the two of them, and I wished that I’d had some sort of money to bribe them with. However, my pockets were empty, unless you counted sand, and I highly doubted they needed more of that.

“Up three streets and take a right. You’ll see the statue outside the door.” Murtogg looked quite proud of himself, and Maria curtsied at him while I again tipped my hat. We started our hustle away from the dock, unsure of how much time we had until the main event happened.

“I guess we could have waited for Jack,” I said, huffing slightly as we made our way up a rather large hill.

“Would you really want to be hustling away from guards and bullets with Jack later, or taking our time and not being roped into piracy now?” Maria leant against the low sea wall that lined the road and motioned for me to stop and take a break.

“Point taken. Had I known we were going to be going on a little hiking trip today I would have broken these shoes in,” I pulled my shirt a little more out of the leather corset that it was tucked under. “Or at least I would have worn something a little looser.”

“Tell me about it.” Maria lifted her skirts to what would certainly be an indecent amount and twisted her ankles around slightly. Her small black flats were already caked in dirt, and her pale legs glistened with a fine sheen of sweat. A few men stared brazenly as they walked by, and I quickly pushed her dress back down and helped her up.

“We won’t have to be worried about running from piracy if you get us arrested for indecent exposure. Women don’t have bodies here, remember?” We huffed and puffed our way up the rest of the hill, coming into Port Royal proper and coming face to face with the bustling town. “Just act natural.” I muttered out of the corner of my mouth, trying to keep an eye out for the statue our soldier friends had mentioned.

“Do you see the shop?” Maria asked, nodding her head at a few women who walked by us. They looked to Maria with a smile, then turned their gazes towards me and tittered between the two of them. I few others had turned their gaze towards us, and I noticed that I was perhaps getting a little more attention that I’d wish for someone that wasn’t from this world.

“I think we may have a couple of other things to worry about. We seem to be drawing a lot of attention from the locals.” As if to prove my point, a woman at a stall across the street had motioned to two soldiers patrolling the area and was now directing them our way. “Things may be ready to get hairy.”

“Excuse me, Miss!” Maria turned towards the soldiers as they made their way towards us, and I tried to blend in behind, which was going to be a little hard to do seeing as I towered over my extremely short friend.

“What seems to be the problem, officer?” Maria said in a coquettish voice, while twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. They looked bewitched by her blue eyes for a moment before turning their darkening gaze towards me.

“It’s not right, or proper, for a woman to be wearing men’s clothing. And so, we shall need to take your friend here in to be questioned.” I rolled my eyes, trying to think of a great escape plan while Maria argued with the soldiers about how I had needed to blend into the crowd to run from my fiancé. I swear, that girl watches too many tv movies.

I leaned forward, spotting a rather large wagon that was moving down the narrow lane, and knew that this was my chance to escape. I also spotted a rather dark pony tail moving towards the side of us that had my heart racing in my chest at the fortuitous circumstances laid before me.

“I’ll meet you at the blacksmith shop.” I whispered to Maria, before launching her forward and stumbling into the arms of one William Turner. The guards shouted, but I had dodged quickly in front of the wagon, which cut them off. Racing forwards, I couldn’t contain my gleeful laughter as I ran faster towards an alleyway and prayed I was going the right way.

As I glanced behind me to see if I had outrun my rifled soldiers, my body collided with another, snapping my attention forward as we both went careening towards the ground. Luckily, my unwitting victim managed to stop himself before he hit, leaving me to land on the rather hard cobblestones. My hands and knees screamed in protest from the fall, while my hat went flying from my blonde head.

“I’d say I’m sorry, but it looks like you got off Scott-free.” I grumbled to myself, sitting up and surveying the damage the dirty stones had done to my hands. I sighed at the dirt and bloody scratches there, and then bit harshly on my tongue when a pair of bejeweled hands reached down before my face to offer me some help up. “That’s interesting,” I said, while following the arm up to the shoulder and then staring into the deep, dark eyes of one Captain Jack Sparrow.

“Woman dressed like a man in the upstanding town of Port Royal. I’d say you’re quite interesting yourself, love.” He grabbed my arms, hauling me into a standing position despite my protesting knees, and then scooped my hat off the ground, dusting it off slightly. I went to reach for it, hoping to hide my raging red face from his view but he held it out from me, a rather comical notion for someone who was cuffed. I stood, staring like a dunce at the absolute love of my life, while he surveyed my form. “Where you off to in such a hurry?”

“I, uh, well,” I stuttered out, trying to keep my calm without screaming like a loon or jumping his tall, handsome bones. Hurried footsteps walked past our alleyway, and Jack jumped forward, pushing me back towards the darkness and hiding us both from view. I snapped myself out of my stupor at the real risk of being caught. I really didn’t need to see what 18th century jail was like. “I’m hiding from the guards. Seems like most people don’t take kindly to women dressing like men.”

“And what a shame that is. Well, it’s been lovely running into you, but I too am on my way out of here without the guards finding me, so, tah.” He tipped his hat towards me, before strolling towards the entrance to the alley.

I was dumbstruck for a moment, before realizing he still had my hat. And that I wanted to be a part of this movie now more than anything. “Wait!” I whisper-shouted, right before he stepped forward. “I want my hat back, and I think I know a place where we can lay low before nightfall.”

He gave me a skeptical look but shrugged. “All right, lass, but I need no stowaways aboard my ship. We part at nightfall.”

“Agreed,” I said, reaching out my hand for him to shake. When he did so, I yanked him towards me, stealing my hat back from his other hand with a self-satisfied grin. “Thanks.” He smirked at me, gripping my hand tighter and yanking me into the sunlight with him. The streets were semi-deserted again, so no one paid us any mind, and we walked quickly, keeping to the shadows before I saw a statue that looked rather familiar. “Over there,” I said, turning us in that direction.

There were footsteps quickly approaching from behind us, and I was thankful Jack heard them before me and acted quickly, running towards the statue of the blacksmith, shoving his sword in the spot where the hammer had once stood, and successfully hiding us in the span it would have taken me to make a decision. Red coats ran quickly past our spot, and we waited a moment more before I let out a sigh of relief.

“The blacksmith?” He asked me, turning in the small space to give me a condescending look.

“Want to get out of those cuffs?” I couldn’t contain the sarcastic smile, and Jack rolled his eyes, allowing me to walk out of our spot and slide quickly into the blacksmith shop. I quickly glanced around, but there was no one inside, and I realized that we were about to be a part of one of the best parts of the movie. “I’ll let you take it from here,” I trailed off, acting like I was clueless, “What did you say your name was again?”

Jack had spotted Mr. Brown, the drunken head blacksmith, and was creeping towards him in a move I thought always made him look a bit like a dinosaur. He poked him twice, with no results but a loud snore before turning around. Suddenly, he turned back, letting out a loud, startling noise, and waiting. Again, no response. With a smirk, Jack turned back and brought laid his hat over the bridge of an anvil by the fire.

“Seems only fair that we trade a name for a name.” He said, pulling a hammer away from the wall of tools and crossing over to a place where he could work on getting his cuffs off. I leant myself against a table farther away from the blistering heat of the fire and watched him work.

“Taylor.” I said, watching as he maneuvered his cuffed hands and hit at the chains. In person, it looked even less like a good idea than it had in the films. “Taylor Downs. That’s not going to work.”

“Names Captain Jack Sparrow, love, and I always have a plan.” I wondered if it was possible to swoon and roll one’s eyes at the same time as he said it, but then his face lit up in a devious grin as he caught sight of the donkey, the large machine for sword making, and a half-finished, poker hot weapon in the fire.

“I know what you’re thinking and that’s just straight up animal cruelty.” Jack gave me a strange look at my strange turn of phrase, and then promptly ignored me in favor of removing his bondage. I watched him stick the donkey on the ass (no pun intended) and the poor beast let out a loud whinny before moving. With a quick turn, and a loud snap, the chains of the cuffs snapped, and Jack shook out his hands in victory.

I got up from my spot to see if I could soothe the poor beast, when the door started to rattle, and I jumped from the noise. Jack, now free to maneuver himself at will, grabbed me round the middle and hauled me into a hiding spot with a hand over my mouth to keep me quiet. Just in the nick of time, as the door pushed open and Will Turner stepped into view. I pushed Jack’s hand away, but stayed close for my own reasons, as Will held the door open a bit wider and motioned someone else in.

“You dirty dog,” I whispered to myself as Maria stepped in with a serene smile and googly eyes. Jack looked from Maria to me with a questioning glance, but I was focused on the pair in front of us. Maria had already spotted Jack’s hat, looking at it with wide eyes as Will helped her down the stairs into the main area of the shop. He settled the donkey down, and then moved into the scene.

“Right where I left you,” Will said to himself as he looked at the still-through-it-all passed out Mr. Brown. He turned back around as if to address my best friend, when something else caught his eye. “Not where I left you.” He picked the hammer up and followed his line of vision until he was looking at a definitely not supposed to be there hat.

“Is something wrong?” Maria asked, knowing full well what was about to happen.

Will opened his mouth to answer, reaching for the hat when a sword came down flat on his wrist. I hadn’t even felt Jack move, and I followed him out into the light from our spot, refusing to miss out on this action. Maria did a crazy face and a little wiggle at me, and I mouthed obscenities to let her know I wasn’t as calm and cool as I was acting.

“You’re the one they’re looking for. The pirate.” Will addressed Jack, before turning to look at me in confusion. I held up my hands, moving away from Jack and closer towards Maria.

“I’m with her.” I said with a shrug, and Jack looked between us with raised brows. I rolled my eyes at him, to which he frowned and turned back to the task at hand.

“You seem somewhat familiar have I threatened you before?” Jack focused on Will’s face, seemingly trying to place him out of the probably thousands of people he’d met before.

“He makes a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates,” Maria interjected, and I felt a little giggle escape me as she stole one of Will’s lines. He squared his shoulders in solidarity with the statement, and Jack smirked, turning on the charm with a jaunty step in his walk.

“Ah, then it’d be a shame to put a black mark on your record. I’ll just be on my way.” Will, however, wasn’t having this, and shoved it towards Jack, standing in between him and the door. With a slightly annoyed sigh, Jack touched his own sword to Will’s (cheeky) and leaned in closer towards him. Maria and I practically vibrated in giddiness. “You think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate.”

Will cleared his throat slightly, tensing his stance and preparing for some quick dueling. “You threatened Miss Swann.” He said, his voice taking on the uppity tone it had when he spoke of Elizabitch.

“That’s your man.” I said to Maria with a sad sigh, and she laughed out an ‘I know.’

“Only a little.” Jack said, launching into the attack with some fancy feet moves that were putting Will in a trance. Maria and I quickly moved from our spots to one of the tables near Mr. Brown, watching the two tussle. I turned towards Maria with a smile and crossed my arms.

“Care to elaborate on how you became acquainted with our good friend Will Turner?” I grinned wildly, and she hit my arm to make me stop.

“After you launched me directly into his arms in the middle of the street?” I shrugged as if to say, ‘what can you do’ and she nudged me slightly. “I played damsel in distress of course – pretended that it was really difficult for me to catch my breath in the heat and that I was waiting on a friend who had been harassed by the guards. I think he likes a strong woman who needed a little rescuing, and so he brought me back here to wait for you. And that leads us to now.”

“Muscling in on Miss Swann’s territory already, huh? I’m proud of you,” I said in a gruff voice before I looked back to Will and Jack, who were still measuring who was better with a sword. “I literally ran into our fair Captain Sparrow in an alley, and although he is just as sexy in person as I believed he’d be, I didn’t get to jump his bones. Although who am I to pass up the opportunity to press up on him when we were hiding from the guards?”

“You are truly an inspiration my friend. A little wild though, right? That we’re here in this movie in the first place. I wonder what the rules are?” Maria looked to Mr. Brown as he let out a loud snore, and I tried not to hold my nose at his foul breath.

“Let’s go with the flow for now, try to have fun and not mess things up in the process, but we may have to do some quick thinking if they ask where we’re from. Ever put on a British accent before? Because I know mine will not pass muster.” We both laughed, and a very loud, very harsh thud drew our attention back to the matter at hand.

“That is a wonderful trick,” Jack said, letting go of the sword handle that had now very thoroughly blocked his exit. “Except, once again, you are between me and my way out; and now, you have no weapon.” He looked mighty proud of himself as he pulled his sword back from its holster and held it out towards Will. There was a slight look of panic on the Blacksmith’s face, before he spun smoothly around and pulled a red-hot sword from the fire. Jack’s eyes widened in a moment of surprise and possibly fear, before he too spun himself around with a bit of flare and the two blades collided, sparks showering the area.

“Might want to clear the scene for the moment.” I said, tamping the floor down where a few embers still burned.

“Not a bad idea,” Maria said, scrambling up and holding her skirts from the floor as we made to move towards the door where Norrington would soon burst in to set us all right.

“Who makes all these?” Jack shouted in exasperation as Will continued to launch unfinished swords towards him. The wheels of the machine were spinning as the donkey practically ran from the fight.

“I do,” Will shouted back, grabbing the hilts from the machine to throw towards the ducking Sparrow. “And I practice with them, three hours a day.”

“You need to find yourself a girl, mate.” Jack flashed back, moving his sword to swipe at Will, who dodged artfully. I laughed as Maria motioned to herself like ‘hello, here I am’ and then looked back to Jack and Will, who had stopped there fighting for a brief moment. “Or, perhaps the reason you practice with them three hours a day is because you’ve already found one, and are incapable of wooing said strumpet?” Jack looked down at Will’s pants, and then over to Maria and me with a smirk before turning back to Will. “You’re not a eunuch, are you?”

“Damn, that’s always a tough blow to swallow.” I said to Maria, who looked towards Will with sympathy.

“But swallow it he will,” She said through a giggle, and I hit her with my elbow.

“Dirty!” I said towards my friend with another laugh. Will was obviously quite wounded by this and our jesting and took a swing at Jack for the insult.

“I practice with them three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it!” Will lunged at Jack, who ran from the spot that was keeping him trapped and back into the open area of the blacksmith shop. Maria and I sighed as we once again had to move from our spot and grabbed a seat near the sword machine while the rest of the scene took place.

“I kind of feel like Will is maybe being a little harsh on this one. I can kill ‘it.’ As if Pirates aren’t people too?” I said to Maria, who was gently soothing the donkey as it made its way in the circle. She gave a quick glance over to Mr. Brown, who looked like he was starting to stir from his position while the climax of the fight happened.

“The man does practice three hours a day in order to kill one, so that might be a bit of an obsession maybe? We need some therapists up in here for this one.” She said with a laugh. With no warning at all, Jack let loose the bag of sawdust, leaving a large plume to take over the shop and covered my face with my arms quickly as it left us coughing. “What the hell!” Maria said through her muffled arms, her hair quickly turning from its dark color to that of the sawdust. She had gotten a fairly good dosing of it.

“Move away,” Jack said, pointing a gun in Will’s face as he blocked his exit to the back door. The front was shaking, soldiers grunting and yelling behind it, trying to get it open to get inside. Will yelled out a loud ‘no’ which made Jack let out an exasperated, unhappy sigh. “Please move?”

“I cannot step aside and let you escape.” Will said. Jack was busy pulling the hammer back on the pistol, and Maria and I slowly stepped to the side as Mr. Brown pushed quietly between us, empty rum bottle in his hand. Will noticed him and stood his ground.

“This shot is not meant for you.” Jack said, deadly serious, until suddenly, Mr. Brown’s bottle smashed him over the back of the head, felling him to the ground. Will gave a surprised look at the man, and the door burst open just as Jack kissed the floor.

Norrington ran down the stairs (and can I mention he was much more handsome in the second movie without the hideous wig and pompous puss face), giving very little thought to Maria and I before addressing the scene in front of him.

“Excellent work, Mr. Brown. You’ve just assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive.” Norrington smirked down at Jack, and then his attention was captured by two soldiers who looked mightily familiar, pointing towards me and motioning towards my state of dress. “Two fugitives it would seem.” Norrington said with a proud look, before two men were grabbing my arms and clapping me in irons.

“Just doing my civic duty, sir.” Mr. Brown growled out with a rum-heavy voice. I rolled my eyes, and turned towards Maria and Will, whose jaw looked like it was going to hit the floor.

“Did I not mention I was almost arrested earlier?” I shrugged, feeling the bite of the cuffs into my thin wrists. “Let’s take it easy on these shackles, all right? I highly doubt all five foot six of me is going to be able to take on the King’s Navy.”

Norrington gave me a disgusted look, and let out a final ‘Take them away,’ before sweeping off. Maria waved at me as I left, knowing that we’d have to meet up soon after the crazy pirate antics that would take place tonight. “Be careful!” I yelled back towards her and as the door shut with finality, I looked up towards the fort that Jack and I would soon be prisoners of. And all because I wanted to wear pants to the movies.


	2. Scurvy, Jail, and Hard Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know nothing of hell.” Koehler said with emphasis, squeezing tighter around Jack’s neck before throwing him back towards the cell. Jack rubbed his throat for a moment, and then looked towards the bone he was holding in his other hand as the pirates walked away, leaving us stranded once again in our cell.

_Chapter Two:_

_Scurvy, Jail, and Hard Time_

“So, honestly, in the grand scheme of things, this really did turn out differently but still better than I thought.” I shook my still sore wrists out again, propping my back up below the stone structure that Jack was sitting on in the jail cell we were currently occupying. The trip to the fort had been rather uneventful, and had it not been for the comedy of the soldiers dragging a half-conscious Sparrow along the ground, his boots nicking every single stone on the way up, and causing a hilarious dance between the soldiers as they tried to keep their footing (with Jack wearing a handsome smirk the entire time), it could even have been described as boring. But it was nothing compared to the non-eventful moments of us in this cell together.

“And how, I ask, could that possibly be?” Jack tilted his head down to look at me, one knee coming up for him to rest his arm on. “We’re in jail.”

“True; and I’d rather not have any black marks on my record in that regard, but it could absolutely be worse. For example, I could be stuck in that cell, and yet, here I am with you. Rather fortuitous if you ask me.” I sent him a wink, suddenly feeling much bolder before turning my attention back to the foul pirates that were sitting in the other cell, their attention being split between trying to coax me out of the corset I was wearing and enticing the dog with the keys.

“You know what, love? I think you’re exactly right. And I can think of quite a few things we could get up to while those guards are away.” His voice had taken on a darker, more sultry quality to it, and I kept my gaze focused ahead, feeling a little less bold at his teasing. My face was flaming with heat from my blushing, and I pulled my braid around to the front of my head, so I wouldn’t have to address him directly.

“With these fools for an audience? Charmed.” I said in as sarcastic a voice as I could muster (which wasn’t much considering the squeaky quality my voice had taken on). Jack let out a small chuckle before leaning his head down a little, letting his hat shadow his face. I turned my attention to my hands, which were no longer bloody, but still a little sore with a few thin cuts from my earlier fall and wondered if I could get infections here. Bodily, I was completely present, but would that be different to what was happening to my body in my own time? My head started to hurt, and so I wiped my hands on my still rather clean pants and moved on from that train of thought.

Once I felt I had calmed down enough, I turned towards him and watched subtly from the ground. I opened my mouth to speak, but a rather large whistle cut through the air. I paused, then focused on the other prisoners in the cell next to us. “That was bloody annoying.” I called out to them.

“You can keep doing that forever; the dog is _never_ going to move.” Jack said a little louder over the noise of their calling. The noises settled down almost immediately, with one of the braver prisoners turning to face Jack head on. They had seemingly already known who he was when he sauntered into his cell, hat on and pouting as the soldiers took away his ‘effects.’ I had stumbled in after him, irritated that they had taken my hat but not his own and trying to not catch myself on the stairs, while the guards laughed at my clumsiness, but missed me snagging what looked to be a rather important document from them. I had wadded it up in a ball and tossed it into the corner, hoping that they had to come look for it later and we could use it as an escape if necessary.

Right, back to the matter at hand, however.

“Well excuse us if we haven’t resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet.” The man who had spoken looked crusty as hell, and I sent him a sympathetic look at the state of his teeth. Definitely a victim of scurvy if I’d ever seen one. Jack, on the other hand, smirked, tipping his hat at the man and settling back into his spot once again. My eyes lingered on his form, trying to stay away from just openly staring, but he was too damn handsome for his own good in this instance, and so I reclined back against the wall, scooting over so that I was facing him directly, just on the floor beneath his perch.

While our fellow prisoners pleaded with the uninterested dog and Jack seemingly took a nap, I took the opportunity to look over the details of the cells we were in. The floor was covered in a strange mixture of stones, dirt, and hay, seemingly meant to keep it from being musty and damp from the spray of the ocean just beyond the window. It did not, however, do much in the way of keeping the cold out, and now that the sun had set, it was quite chilly. I wondered what they had done with Jack’s coat, seeing it just out of reach with the rest of his things.

I was just thinking of how I could convince the next guard to let me have the coat in exchange for the papers I had stolen, when Jack’s voice spoke from above me. When I turned, he was looking directly at me.

“So, what’s your story then, love? How’d you get yourself roped into this mess?” He gestured around us, seemingly unconcerned that he was in jail. I leaned my head back, trying to come up with a suitable answer to that question. I had to stall.

“My name is Taylor, Captain Sparrow. Not love.” I gave him a stern look, despite the fact that I swooned every time he called me love. Couldn’t be having that for the rest of my time here.

“Beg your pardon, then, Miss _Taylor_.” He annunciated the name, and then looked back at me as if this was a pain for him to do and I needed to humor him. Arguably, however, having him call me by my real name in that roguish accent wasn’t much better.

I sighed and looked down at my boots, wiggling my toes in them to continue stalling as I thought of a good background story. I smiled as I came up with a suitably hilarious, but still slightly realistic, one. “I’m a bit of a witch.” I smirked, and looked up at him, but he looked unamused. “Seriously, I am. My friend, Maria, whom you met at the Blacksmith’s shop, and I travel around whenever I have a vision. My visions told me that I needed to come to Port Royal for my next adventure, and so here I am. I don’t usually know the nature of the task, just that I have to do it. I guess you could call me a fortune teller, if witch leaves you feeling a little sacrilege.”

I shrugged, as if it didn’t make much of a difference, and Jack sat up a little more to give me his full attention. “A witch?” He said, the sarcasm hinted at in his voice, but laced with something more, like maybe he did believe me. I thought about Tia Dalma and realized that he probably thought this was more than likely true.

“A witch, Captain Sparrow.” I reclined back, trying to find a comfortable spot on the stone floor. “And no, I can’t tell your fortune. I won’t change the future by revealing it to you now.”

“Bloody witches and their bloody rules.” Jack said with an eye-roll, before mimicking my stance. His eyes, however, stayed sharp on my own. “Then have you figured out your next ‘task’ by being here?”

What was it they always said on _Vampire Diaries_? “Witches are here to help keep the balance of nature. So, I can’t just tell you everything because then it would change your entire outcome. And I’m not saying that I even know what your future holds.” I looked away from him for a moment, before looking back and meeting his eyes. “As for my next adventure, I’m looking right at it, I believe.”

He opened his mouth to respond, most likely to tell me to take my witchy-juju and hit the road, when there was a rather large boom that reverberated throughout the fort. My heart leapt to my throat at the same time that Jack leapt from his seat and stood to look out the very small window.

“I know those guns.” He said, excitement coloring his voice. A small, genuine smile crept over his face as he continued to stare out the window. I stood, trying to think of the best place to be when the cannons fired. “It’s the _Pearl_.”

Mr. Scurvy abandoned his post with the dog and pushed his face up against the bars that separated the cells to look in awe at Jack. “The _Black Pearl_? I’ve heard stories. It’s been praying on ships and settlements for near 10 years. Never leaves any survivors.”

“No survivors?” I said at the same time as Jack, not being able to resist one of my favorite comebacks of the whole movie. Jack paused to give me a confused look, and so I continued on. “Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?”

Luckily, or unluckily as the case may be, for me, a cannon ball made it’s almost immediate impact with the wall of our cell, just after I said the line. I coughed, and spluttered, dust in my eyes making it difficult to see through the smoke and the body that was shielding mine from the debris. My back was on fire and as the dust started to settle, I stared up at Jack, a slightly dazed look in both of our eyes as my ears continued to ring from the noise. As he continued to look at me in confusion, I pushed lightly against him. He rolled off, rising quickly to his feet to assess the damage before thrusting a hand out to me to haul me to my feet. While I was being pulled up, I grabbed at something hard to my right, holding it in my hand tight on instinct.

As I adjusted myself to standing after my back felt like it was going to break in two, my free hand came up to wipe the dust from my face and eyes. I gasped slightly for breath in the hazy air, trying to gain my bearings. I watched Jack realize that the hole formed in the wall from the cannon left just enough space for us to _not_ get out. Scurvy-man looked out at us from the beckoning freedom, giving us the pitying look now. “My sympathies, friends; you’ve no manner of luck at all.” With that parting gift, he scampered away with the rest of the prisoners, though where they would end up I had no idea.

“He’ll probably die from scurvy before the end of the week,” I mused, as Jack stared at the outside world, a pout coming over his full lips. I walked up to him and placed my hand on his shoulder, before holding out the bone that I had accidentally salvaged from the wreckage. I tried a smile at him, which seemingly was appreciated. “We both know it’s not going to work, but let’s give it a try.”

He laughed, taking the bone from my hand, which I then wiped vigorously on my pants to rid myself of the slimy feeling, and stuck his hand through the bars. He let out a soft whistle, waving the bone to catch the doggy’s attention. “C’mere doggy,” He coo’d, taking on a much softer, sweeter voice than the one used by the previous bone-owners. “It just you and us now. Just you and ol’ Jack.” I sat back as I watched the dog stand from its position near the foot of the stairs. I forgot the sudden hope that flared in Jack would be dashed moments later as the dog came closer. “Come on, doggy. Come here,” Jack’s voice suddenly took on a bit of a deeper, ominous timbre as the dog came closer, and the hair on the back of my arms stood up a little in the sudden chill I felt. “You slimy, filthy mangey cur.”

A loud gunshot bang sounded from the top of the stairs, and as Jack made a grab for the keys in the dog’s mouth, it shot away from us, taking off down the stairs at a good clip. “No! Come back! I didn’t mean it.” Jack cried desperately, but it was no use. There were footsteps, and Jack sprang back, pushing me behind him as the body of a guard came tumbling down the stairs, followed by two filthy-looking pirates.

“This ain’t the armory.” The skinnier of the two pirates said, looking around with a rather wild look in his eyes. His clothes were falling pretty much off of him with decay, and the stench was rather terrible. I took a step closer to Jack, knowing what was about to happen. The tall, dark-skinned pirate shook his dreads from his eyes and looked Jack up and down, recognition on his cruel face.

“Well, well, well. Look what we got here, Twig. Captain Jack Sparrow,” He paused, spitting on the ground at the mentioning of Jack’s name. The aforementioned Twig turned a rather cruel smile towards us, his teeth black as night. I flinched away, trying to hide myself from Jack and glad that my hat had been sat outside the cell so that it wouldn’t add any height to my person. “The last time I saw you, you were all alone, sinking into the distance. His fortunes aren’t improved much.”

The pirates gave me a once over and a nasty smirk, before Jack drew their attention back to himself. “Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen. The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers, and mutineers.”

The hatred on Koehler’s face was potent as he reached swiftly through the bars and caught Jack around the neck. I grabbed the back of his shirt, stopping him from being smashed against the bars completely. “That’s interesting.” Jack said, his voice strained as he got a look at the skeletal hand holding him. I couldn’t help the horror on my face as I looked at it. There really was no comparison to the realistic version versus the movie version. It was the most nerve-wracking thing I’d ever seen.

“You know nothing of hell.” Koehler said with emphasis, squeezing tighter around Jack’s neck before throwing him back towards the cell. Jack rubbed his throat for a moment, and then looked towards the bone he was holding in his other hand as the pirates walked away, leaving us stranded once again in our cell.

“That’s very interesting.” Jack looked to be in deep thought, and I sighed before moving away from him and taking up his abandoned spot on the stone perch. The humid heat of the outside sea air was making me feel sleepy, along with the events of the rest of day and I laid down on my side, wishing I had a pillow.

“I cannot believe his hand just turned into a freaking skeleton. That was the sickest thing I’ve ever seen.” I muttered to myself, feeling slightly delirious from the day.

“Don’t you worry, love, I’ve got a plan forming. Now, you just sit back and rest your pretty little eyes while I get us out of here.” I rolled my eyes, but did as he said, drifting off to the soft sounds of him humming a little sea-shanty and the soft sound of the waves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovers! Again, I hope that everyone is enjoying the new and improved version of Curse of the Sexy Beast (I still cringe at the title, so love that for me). If you read the original, you'll notice that a few things have been taken out, mostly because the things I thought were cute and funny at 16 are no longer cute and funny to me now. I think I've written a more mature Taylor, or at least I hope I have, and I've removed Maria's point of view to focus more on Jack (Sorry Biz). Anyhow, I hope those changes made things easier and more fun to read, rather than the other way around. 
> 
> One more note - I obviously own nothing you see or recognize, especially not Pirates of the Caribbean or Vampire Diaries. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I eagerly await your feedback!


	3. The Small Matter of Maria's Sanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, Mr. Turner,” Jack said, moving towards the cell again, shooing me off from my muttering. “I’ve changed my mind. If you spring me, and this lass, from this cell, I swear on pain of death that I will take you to the Black Pearl,” He stopped as if considering it and then added, “And your bonny lass.” He took the time to stick his tattooed, ringed hand through the grates for Will to grasp. “Do we have an accord?”

_Chapter Three:_

_The Small Matter of Maria’s Sanity_

“I’m curious, Captain Sparrow, how you thought that this would be the most sensible idea of what to do with that bone.” I sighed, raking my hands through my now unwound braid, and working the tangles out of my hair to re-braid. My eyes drifted, once again, to where the chiseled bone stuck into the lock of our cell. Now, the lock was useless, even with the key, and I gave Jack another weary look as we waited what seemed to be forever for Will Turner to rescue us. As much as I loved the Blacksmith, he wasn’t always the seemingly smartest tool in the shed.

“Love, if I had been able to coax that slimy mutt back up here, we’d already be out. You pointing out the issues in my plan now, after it’s already been executed, is not helping matters.” He huffed at me, barely turning his attention from where he knelt in front of the door, trying to wiggle the bone out of the lock.

I rolled my eyes at him, wondering at how I could be so annoyed with a man I had been in love with my whole life. It didn’t seem to be going to well for us at the moment, and I hoped it was just lack of food and terrible sleep, because if not this movie was going to turn long quick.

Jack let out a frustrated noise, and I leaned my head against the stone wall, trying to avoid thumping it too hard as the heat in the cell started to rise from the rather glaring hole in the wall. The humidity was becoming unbearable.

I opened my mouth to speak, or complain more likely, when there was a noise at the top of the stairs – the door opening and shutting in a louder than usual way. Jack and I exchanged a glance, and he threw himself down on the floor to make himself seemingly innocent. I closed my eyes, hoping that it was Will, and hopefully Maria, coming down those stairs and not a wayward guard.

The rustle of skirts was obvious and my eyes snapped open to watch as Maria made her way carefully down the stairs, her hand in Will’s. “Finally!” I yelped, standing up, avoiding Jack’s figure on the floor as I walked around him towards the other side of the cell where Maria rushed over to me. “You good?” I asked, realizing she had been out all night when the pirates had been roaming the fort.

“Peachy. I always knew you’d end up in jail one day,” She laughed, and we grasped forearms through the bars just as Jack perked up and looked at Will, seemingly uninterested in the new comers.

“You. Sparrow.” Will said, voice raised and a wily look in his eye. Jack lifted his head up to look at Will, an uninterested ‘aye’ escaping his mouth as he found great need to suddenly clean his nails. “You are familiar with that ship, the _Black Pearl_?”

Jack smirked slightly, and I resisted the urge to toss hay on him, just for something to do. Maria and I let the two men go at it verbally, standing to the side to watch it all play out. “I’ve heard of it.” Jack said nonchalantly. A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it, recalling how intimately he’d talked about it last night. His first, and only, love.

“Where does it make berth?” Will asked, not to be deterred.

With this, Jack sat up on his forearms, posing on the stone floor and giving will an incredulous look for the first time as his dreads swang and the trinkets tinkled. “Where does it make berth?” He shot a wild look in my direction and rolled his eyes, directing his head at Will like he was crazy. “Have you not heard the stories?”

Will looked at Jack, no recognition in his eyes, and Jack laid back on the ground again, swinging his arm in front of him, clearly over Will and his questions. I couldn’t help myself as I opened my mouth. “Captain Barbossa, and his crew of miscreants, saild from the dreaded Isla de Muerta.”

“It is an island that can not be found,” Maria said, putting a slight far off look in her eyes, “_Except_ by those who already know where it is.”

Jack and Will looked at us, mouth’s agape, and I sent Jack a wink while mouthing the word ‘witch’ at him. A small smirk appeared on his lips, and he seemed to believe me for the time being. I was rather proud with myself on how quick thinking I had been with the explaining last night.

“The ship’s real enough.” Will started, moving slightly closer to the bars from where he’d been standing on the first stair of the staircase. “Therefore, it’s anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?” He demanded, looking between Jack and I, and I realized he was lumping me into this too.

“Not a pirate,” I sighed, giving Maria an eye-roll, but she wasn’t paying attention, watching Will with a lustful gaze. Laughing, I reached through the bar to pretend to wipe drool off her face, while she swatted at me.

“Why ask me?” Jack asked, his eyes betraying his interest in the topic at hand, while he continued to play the unconcerned to be in jail pirate. Though I had to admit, it did look good on him.

“Because you’re a pirate.” Will said, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. This caught Jack’s attention, and he rose off the floor, going in for the relative kill. Poor, innocent, naïve Will Turner. Again, no match for my man Jack Sparrow.

“Oh, and you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?” The smirk on Jack’s face told Will everything he needed to know for his temper to rise that final amount.

“Never.” He jumped to the bars, holding tight as if he could use all his physical strength to tear them away and beat Jack to a pulp. I didn’t think it would work, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t willing to watch them go at it. Especially if it involved their shirts coming off and sweaty exapanses of skin. But I digress. “They’be taken Elizabeth.”

Maria and I shared a glance, then rolled our eyes simultaneously. I had a feeling that a headache was inevitable with all the eye-rolling we’d done thus far in our journey in this universe.

Jack, however, found this news to be incredibly interesting. He jumped from his spot on the ground, startling me as he swung his arms out and almost smacked me in the face. Almost on instinct, he grabbed me, pulling me in and squeezing me to his side like a co-conspirator. “So, it is that he’s found a girl!” Jack dampened his fervor, acting once again to draw Will into the moment to get the result he’d been wanting. “Well, if you’re planning to brave all hasten to her rescue, and so win the fair lady’s heart, you’ll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me.” With that, I sent an elbow into his side, and he let out a short burst of air before amending. “I see not profit in it for us.”

Will pursed his lips in thought, and Jack tensed, worried his plan wasn’t going to work. I looked to Maria, who sighed and then caught Will’s eyes, motioning ever-so-slightly to the cell we were in; or more specifically, to the bolts that kept the door in place.

Will’s eyes lit up. “I can get you out.” He said proudly, but Jack looked unconvinced. He let go of me to push a little closer to the cell and looked down the hall.

“And how’s that? The keys have run off.” Jack shot a quick glance at the bone in the lock, ignoring my chuckling behind him as he realized we weren’t getting out that way either.

“I helped build these cells,” Will said with confidence. “These are half-pin barrel hinges – with the right leverage, and the proper amount of strength, the door will lift free.” Gently moving Maria from harm’s way, he maneuvered the bench in front of the cell and hooked the wooden material under one of the cell’s rungs. Jack stood straight, and I could see the wheels in his sharp mind working.

“What’s your name, boy?”

Will seemed confused by the sudden turn of events, looking away from Jack for a minute before reverting his gaze. “Will Turner.”

“That would be short for William, I imagine? Good strong name,” Jack leaned forward, as if he was conspiring with Will only. “No doubt named for your father, aye?”

“Yes.” Was the simple answer, and Jack seemed to mull it over.

“Let’s hurry this up, shall we?” I asked, my body practically humming with the need to get out of this stupid cell. I was ravenous at this point, and in desperate need of some sort of bathroom facility.

“Well, Mr. Turner,” Jack said, moving towards the cell again, shooing me off from my muttering. “I’ve changed my mind. If you spring me, and this lass, from this cell, I swear on pain of death that I will take you to the _Black Pearl_,” He stopped as if considering it and then added, “And your bonny lass.” He took the time to stick his tattooed, ringed hand through the grates for Will to grasp. “Do we have an accord?”

Will took Jack’s hand in his own, and they shook. “Agreed.” They both said, and Jack pulled his arm back motioning grandly to the cell. “Now get us out.”

In a quick move I wasn’t immediately expecting, Will pushed his strength down onto the bench, his body-weight and the cracking wood doing the work for him. The hinges on the door popped loudly, along with the cracked bench, and the door went flying from its spot, nearly missing us in the process. I jumped out quickly, snatching my hat from the stand in the corner and popping it onto my re-braided hair, and waved goodbye to the cell as Jack climbed out.

“Hurry,” Maria called, making her way out the back of the hallway, and taking a slight detour from the stairs to a different corridor. “Someone will have heard that.”

Jack gave us a thrilled smile, and then hastened over to the coat hook where his belts and coat were. “Not without my effects!” He said with a giddy laugh. We waited super impatiently for him to grab his items and put them on, and I started pushing him from the back to get him to hustle forward. He side-stepped me, catching up quickly with Maria before taking charge.

As we slinked through the corridors of the fort, making our way almost completely around and back towards the main entrance where we could escape into town, I looked over to Will who was walking near me. “I’m not a pirate, you know.” It was suddenly important for me to let him know that I wasn’t to be roped into anything just because of how I was dressed.

“So I’ve been told by Miss Bloom.” I choked on a laugh, looking up at my friend who was talking in whispered shouts to Jack who looked very amused. I wondered what he had said.

“Good. I just wanted to make that clear.” Will gave me a smile, and we quickly ducked around a corner, standing into the darkened area as Jack and Maria did the same. Voices neared, and I held my breath, praying to blend in to the wall as a group of soldiers went past. They cleared without incidence, and Will and I shared a look before hustling further through the hallways.

“It’s just up ahead.” Maria said, pointing to the opening of the fort, where there were only a few guards milling about. With only one way out, we were stuck.   


“I didn’t get out of that jail cell just to be put back in it.” I said matter-of-factly, trying to think quickly of how to get out of here. When it clicked in my head, I tried not to let the maniacal laughter leave my lips. “Maria, do you remember last year when we were in the hallway at school,” I trailed off as she caught my meaning.

“That is not going to be the situation here.” She said, a frown taking over her lips as she looked back out at the open courtyard.

“It could. If we run really, really fast.” I gave her a meaningful look. “Like gazelle’s or jet planes.”

“Jet planes?” Will repeated, the word completely foreign to him. Maria and I exchanged a glance before she sighed.

“Fine, but if this doesn’t work I will not go to prison for you.” With a resigned sigh, she gathered her skirts, running into the courtyard before anyone could stop her. Jack made to grab her arm to prevent her, but I snagged his coat before he could.

“Wait for it,” I said, dragging out the words until suddenly Maria was spotted, and promptly burst into tears. As she cried, blubbering loudly and catching the attention of most of the men who then rushed to her aid, the three of us ran swiftly along the wall, and made it quickly out the door in front of us. “I’ll wait for Maria, and we’ll meet you at the docks.” The two men turned away, but I held onto Jack’s arm, making him look at me. “Do _not_ leave us.”

He grinned, his gold teeth glinting in the sun. “Why, I’d never, love.” He pulled away, taking off down the short path that led away from town and to the docks. I stood silently in the shadows until I heard Maria’s sniffles and the soothing voice of a man.

“It’s quite all right, Miss. We hope that you find your brother, and should you not, please come back right away and we will send out a search for him.” The guard’s voice seemed both wary and soothing at the same time, as if talking to a wounded animal who would burst back into tears at any moment.

“Thank you, sir. I shall never forget your kindness.” Maria said in a trembling voice, adopting a British accent that was pretty believable. I snickered, and then she appeared outside of the fort, waving goodbye to those inside. She walked a short meter away, and then caught me in the shadows. She looked quickly behind her before darting over to where I was. “I hate you.”

The laughter I had been keeping held back broke free, and I giggled uncontrollably as she pushed me slightly. “Let’s go, Miss Bloom. I have a feeling Jack won’t wait for us for too long.” As we trudged along the path towards the docks, I spotted the tale-tell bridge that they would be hiding under. “So, you told the man you love that your last name was the same as his real-life actor? Rash, Miss Bloom, too rash.”

“Better than telling him my long, complicated Italian last name, no?” She said, laughing at her own idea. “By the way, why does Jack think you’re a witch?”

“He asked for my story. Had to tell him something that might be believable about why we already know what’s going on.” I shrugged, pulling Maria slightly off the beaten path. We walked along the tree line, picking our steps in the sandy soil, until we reached the beach.

“Should we just make a run for it?” She asked, and I nodded, pointing to where Jack had spotted us and was waving us forward like a madman. “Run like the wind,” She sighed, picking up her skirts again, and sprinting across the sand, trying not to lose her slippers on the way there. I patted myself on the back on my choice of footwear, and took off across the hot sand, to where my next adventure beckoned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have it! Chapter 3, re-written, and hopefully, better. I hope that everyone is enjoying the story so far, as I know I'm enjoying taking the time to meet these characters again, and flesh them out more than I had the first time around. As always, please let me know if you are enjoying it, or if there are things you'd like to see changed/added! I love feedback and relish in being able to interact with readers from all my stories! And again, thanks for reading and taking the time to check it out!
> 
> Side note - I don't own PotC, or anything you recognize.


	4. The Wind Beneath Taylor's Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is there a way you can drop a ladder or something for us? I don’t think I can get up that way.” Will looked skeptical as well but seemed at least ready to do what was necessary to get up the chain. Maria and I were not convinced.

“I admit that perhaps we’ve been a little fool-hardy.” My voice seemed to echo in the strange chamber that had been created once we had turned a rowboat upside down, dragged it underwater, and created a submarine with the trapped air. Air that was becoming quite stifling and hot despite the cool water lapping all around us. A slight sense of claustrophobia was beginning, but I pushed those thoughts and feelings down when I felt a slight pinch on my side. “Ow.”

Jack let out a huff of air, his hand returning to helping to hold the boat on top of us, and I turned my head slightly to look behind me at the other three. Maria, who was the shortest of the three of us, was being practically dragged along, sandwiched in between Jack and Will so she wouldn’t slip out from under the sides as they walked. Will was doing his best to stay a respectable distance from her, which was difficult with her heavy petticoated dress and the current of the water. As such, she looked to be about 5 seconds away from wrapping her legs around Jack’s waist and holding on tight, not that one could blame her, the white knuckled grip on the rowboat looking seconds from slipping.

Not noticing I had stalled slightly in my observing, Jack’s step forward caught the heel of my boot and sent me stumbling, my grip loosening slightly and my tip toes dragging along the sea floor a bit. I struggled to keep my head from going under, and righted my footing without a mouthful of seawater, but it was close. “Sorry, love.” Jack muttered, looking amused by the whole of the situation. I sent him a glare and tried to focus on the area directly in front of me, though I could see nothing due to the wood in front of my face.

“This is either madness, or brilliance.” Will said, his voice sounding loud in the quiet created by the boat. Maria made a noise of assent, and I nodded along. On the movie, this looked hilarious. In real life, it was much harder than it appeared. Sweat started to form at my brow and drip along my wet neck.

“It’s remarkable how often those two traits coincide,” Jake said, voice low and gruff. My face flamed, his voice sounding incredibly close to my ear due to our proximity. A rather loud crunch sounded from behind me, and we all paused and looked over at Will, who was shimmying in the water and shaking his leg vigorously.

“Oh, Will,” Maria said, trying to mask her giggles as I recalled the poor blacksmith had just stepped into a crab trap. He pushed himself off his foot trying to maneuver the trap off his ankle and I imagine avoid the crabs inside, the back of the row boat slipping up and letting a little more water fill the oxygenated area and my eyes widened as we were all forced to stand up straighter to not breath in salt water.

Jack’s dark eyes widened slightly, looking to Maria and I who had completely been pulled off the sand to keep from slipping under. “By my estimation, we’re only a few meters away. Hold tight, lassies. Mr. Turner, do try to keep pace.” His voice was sarcastic, but I could tell that he was slightly nervous about his plan failing if we ran out of air in the next few moments.

As they set a rather quick pace, I held onto the boat with all my strength, treading water as I tried to keep the sea from my nose and eyes. Every so often, Maria spluttered behind me, water catching her mouth in a way I knew wasn’t pleasant. Abruptly, Jack and Will halted, and I was thankful as my foot brushed something heavy and distinctly metal – an anchor.

“Now what?” Maria asked, voicing all our thoughts as I turned my body completely around, adjusting my grip on the boat to see more fully. Jack smirked at our closeness, and I rolled my eyes, trying to keep the blush from my cheeks. Then, more seriously, he looked to our companions.

“We’re going to let go of the sides and swim up. You can swim, can’t you?” He looked between us, and this time I rolled my eyes hard enough to feel dizzy.

“You didn’t think to ask that earlier as we drug and upside-down rowboat into the ocean?” Thinking strongly about kneeing him in the chest, I ultimately decided against it. “Yes, we can swim, though Maria may need a hand with that dress.” She already looked weighted down, and I imagined all the wet fabric wasn’t helping.

“Keep hold of my arm, and I will help you,” Will said graciously, and Jack faked a frown at the idea of not being able to help her out of her dress. This time I did knee him, though with the water stopping my momentum it wasn’t that forceful. He caught my knee in his grip as I started to release the boat and smirked, then let go to grab my wrist, before taking a deep breath, releasing the rowboat, and dragging me out from under it with him. Lucky for him, my gasp took air into my lungs and not water.

Jack tugged me along as he swam, and I moved my legs as powerfully as I could to keep up. Daring to open my eyes to see where we were going, I winced against the sting of it, and the blur of our surroundings. Luckily, the sun was shining strongly through the water, and I could see the surface just above us. From next to us, I could just make out the blur of two other figures, moving only a slight bit slower due to the extra weight of Maria’s dress.

My lungs had just started to burn when we broke the water’s surface, and I let out a large burst of air as I tried to get as much clean air into my lungs as I could. Jack let go of my wrist, and I used my hands to clear the burning saltwater from my eyes. Seconds later, Maria and Will had done the same. Once I had gotten my bearings, I kicked my legs over to the side of the large ship we had come up beside. Jack was holding onto the anchor chain and pushing the upturned rowboat from view with his free hand.

“You know, a little warning would have been nice,” I glared as I grabbed onto the thick metal chain, slotting my hand through one of the links to not be dragged by the current. My legs kicked as they continued to tread water. “I could have drowned.”

“Well then, I would just have to give you the kiss of life, wouldn’t I?” I felt the force of my glare intensify as Jack flirted, his successful plan putting him into a lighter mood. “Right, so, next task is to climb the anchor chain up to that landing there.” We followed his arm to look up at what he was pointing to, and my mouth dropped open as I squinted against the sun.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Maria muttered, looking worn out and a little ragged. I’m sure that I looked the same, and the idea of climbing a slippery chain up to what looked like a second story landing did not sound possible or appealing.

“Is there a way you can drop a ladder or something for us? I don’t think I can get up that way.” Will looked skeptical as well but seemed at least ready to do what was necessary to get up the chain. Maria and I were not convinced.

“Go ahead of me,” Jack started, silencing my protesting with a look, “If you can’t make it up, I’ll give you a boost. But haste is of the essence as we don’t want to draw any attention.” He snapped his fingers at me in a chop-chop motion, and I let out a defeated sigh, grabbing onto the chain and starting my very slow shimmy up to the top. The higher I climbed, using the notches in the wooden ship as footholds, the drier the chain became, but it was very slow moving. Jack, getting impatient, was muttering all the while from directly underneath me. I caught many interesting stereotypes and several ‘women are bad luck after all’s but finally, we reached the landing and I climbed clumsily over the railing, collapsing directly onto the deck without ceremony.

Jack, on the other hand, leapt over after me, landing on his feet and surveying the crew on the deck below us. They were seemingly clueless as to what was happening above. “Love, it’s a good thing you’re a witch and not a pirate, for that was the least impressive climbing I’ve ever seen.” Raising one hand up with a singular finger raised, I panted and rubbed at my sore knees.

“You’ll be lucky if I don’t cast a spell on you for being such a brat,” I muttered under my breath. He grinned at me, knowing that he was right, and I bit down on my lip as the sun caught him just so, making an impressive silhouette. The moment was ruined, as two small shoes were tossed over the railing, one hitting Jack in the leg, and the other bouncing off the railing and over the side.

Maria climbed over next, falling into a heap on the deck, her hair curling around her face naturally and knots forming from where she’d tossed it over her shoulders as she climbed. Her face was red with exertion, and she’d pulled her dress far from decently over her knees and knotted it somehow as she climbed. Will came over next, looking flushed but none-the-worse for wear.

“I hate you.” Maria stated simply as she looked up at Jack, who was staring open-mouthed at my best friend. “They’re just legs you perv!” She semi-shouted, picking up the shoe that hadn’t fallen below and tossing it at him. It bounced off his chest, breaking his stupor and he looked at Will for a moment before seeming to realize there were things to do.

“Right.” He said, then looked at Will, drawing his sword and pointing it over to the stairs, ready to make his move on the ship. As he rushed down the stairs, he shouted out to the unexpecting crew. “Everyone stay calm we are taking over the ship!”

He sounded commanding, and forceful, and from what I could see as I stood shakily at the top of the stairs, the sailors looked intimidated. And then, it was ruined as Will jumped onto the landing, screaming “Aye, Avast!” The sailors laughed and I turned to Maria.

“Again, this is your man.” I said, pointing over my shoulder at the men.

“I know this, and I accept it,” She responded, finally getting up from her spot on the ground, and unknotting her dress. It fell back to her feet, a little wrinkled but not too worse for wear. “I need to find some different clothes.” She said as she slipped one shoe off and made her way to the stairs to find the one that had fallen down.

Below us, Gillette was looking smug and in need of his feather’s rustled. “This ship cannot be crewed by two men. You’ll never make it out of the bay.” He smirked at Jack, as if he’d solved everything without having to blink his eyes.

“They really do like to pretend women don’t exist.” I said, finding Maria’s flat on the bottom of the stairs and handing it out to her. She gratefully slipped it on and joined us on the deck behind Will and Jack.

Jack removed his pistol from his belt, grinning bashfully, and then pulling it directly up to Gillette’s face, cocking the hammer as his smile turned vicious. “Son, I’m Captain Jack Sparrow.” He bared his gold teeth and pushed the pistol’s barrel a little more forcefully into the man’s face. “Savvy?’

“Now, into the long boats, suckas!” I waved my hands towards the boats that were roped to the side of the ship, wishing that I had some sort of weapon to use to make myself seem more threatening. As it was, the soldiers only peered at me through confused eyes. “Is it the language barrier that’s messing it up? Give me your shoe so I can wave it menacingly.” I told Maria, who held her foot away from me so I couldn’t garner it as a weapon.

“I think it’s just your general overall demeanor and the fact that you look mostly crazy with racoon eyes.” She nodded solemnly, and I swiped my fingers under my eyes, finding that they came away black. So much for waterproof eyeliner, am I right?

“Touché.” I wiped at my pants, and then turned to where Jack and Will were forcefully shoving sailors into one boat, the ropes and wood creaking with the weight. “Sparrow, we’re going to the Captain’s quarters for a moment while you do your thing. I’ve said it before, but I’ll repeat it now – do _not_ leave us.”

“Aye,” Jack said, not seeming to care that I had been talking to him and I frowned a little but ultimately decided against repeating myself again. I motioned towards the grand door below the wheel of the ship, and Maria and I made our way into the Captain’s quarters.

There was a large wooden desk in the center of the room, as well as a bunk in a further side area. I made my way towards the bunk, digging through a chest at the foot of the bed. “Perfect.” I proclaimed as I pulled a billowy white shirt, and a soft looking navy vest from the confines inside. Then, digging a little more, a pair of navy trousers that looked like they’d been taken in at the waist. I tossed them back towards Maria, who caught most of the items, and began my search in the wardrobe that stood next to the wash basin.

“You better get changed while I find you some boots, because the lord only knows how long Jack will wait before he leaves us completely.” Maria laughed, unlacing the front of her dress as I continued to dig. Finally procuring a pair of well-worn boots from the back of the wardrobe, I frowned when I noticed they were about two sizes too big. “These aren’t going to fit, and I don’t know that you can make it too much further in those flats.”

Maria was shimmying out of layers on layers of skirts, the blousy ivory shirt already over her head. “I’ll stuff them with cloth.” She said, practicality winning out over her cute black flats. As she finished changing, I went to the wash basin and assessed my face. Black smudges around my eyes made the sunburn on my nose less noticeable, but I knew that they’d have to go. After removing my hat, I took a hunk of soap and started to lather it as best I could, hoping it wouldn’t be too drying on my sensitive skin but figuring I’d have to make do. “You know I’d kill to brush my teeth.”

“You’re telling me. Or even a brush to run through my hair.” I said, eyes squinted against the lye smell coming from the soap. “This shit is going to ruin my face.”

Maria was just shoving her feet into the boots and I was patting my face dry on a lone piece of cloth when there were footsteps pounding into the room. I spun around to see Will standing awkwardly in the door frame. “We need to leave.” He said, ushering us quickly from the room.

Maria looked sadly at her belongings left spread over the floor of the cabin and sighed. “Goodbye fair costume. I hardly knew you or got my money’s worth.” She said longingly and I laughed as I shoved her from behind and out onto the deck. It was still super bright, and after being in the shaded cabin, the heat of the sun and the brightness felt accosting.

Jack stood at the wheel, watching as the sails of the _Interceptor_ unfurled in the distance. “Here they come,” Will said as he ran up the stairs, and I sighed, knowing the look Jack was sure to be making right about now. It was one that I had stared at for ages when I was younger, even going so far to print the little half-smile out and hang it in my bedroom like a poster.

As the ship got closer, Maria and I maneuvered ourselves into a hiding spot behind a couple of well-placed barrels, ducking down while Jack and Will did the same. Jack held his fingers to his lips, and we nodded in understanding. The shouts of the other men got louder, and suddenly the hooks reaching into the side of the ship came with loud thuds, making my heart jump into my throat. As people swung aboard, we were far enough away that the Commodore wouldn’t see us as we swung over. I grabbed the rope that Jack shoved into my hands, and felt my hands start to sweat.

I hesitated just enough for Jack to fall back before stepping over the side. “Up you go, love.” He said motioning for me to climb over the railing to stand on the other side. I shook my head furiously.

“I can’t. I’ll just stay here with the Commodore. I don’t mind going back to the jail.” I let go of the rope on accident and it swung loosely and dropped away from me into the water. I sucked in a sharp breath at the idea that I could have been on it when it happened.

“That wasn’t according to plan, but this is our opportune moment,” Jack said, looking wide eyed at the failed rope swing and then to me. I continued to hesitate, and remembering my no man left behind rule, Jack bent down, hooking his arm around my waist and hauling me up next to him. I stumbled and his grip tightened, bringing me right into his chest. “Hold on tight,” He said with a smirk, and then the air was flying up around me with the swing of our bodies causing that roller-coaster stomach dropping sensation.

I kept a shriek of surprise in through sheer force of will and the biting of my lip hard enough to break the skin, but as suddenly as it started it was over, and my knees slightly buckled as we hit the deck of the _Interceptor_. Jack stood me up straight, pushing my hat more firmly onto my head. A small axe was pushed into my hand, and then Jack pointed at the ropes anchoring the claw-hooks the soldiers had used to get to the _Dauntless_.

I took a deep breath and nodded, trying not to feel the calloused palm that had touched mine. My hands shook as I threw my weight into chopping the ropes as they stood. Jack moved to the helm, adjusting the ship into the wind to get it moving. I met Will in the middle, and we gave the gangplank a little shove to get it moving, before following up to the helm, where Maria and Jack waited.

“Nothing to it,” She said, throwing her arm around my waist and pulling me in. I put my arms around the shoulders of my best friend, taking comfort in her presence after that terrifying ordeal.

“Damn straight,” I said, though the shake in my voice gave me away. It was only a moment of brief serenity before shouting started back over on the other ship as the gangplank splashed into the water and the yelling started. Jack removed his hat to wave it gallantly at the other sailors and the unforgiving Commodore, his smirk widening into a full-on grin. I felt bad for the man that had absolutely crushed it on diving straight into the ocean, but he was up and sputtering for air, so the guilt didn’t feel too all-consuming.

“Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way,” Jack yelled out, voice gruff as we sailed into the sun. “We’d have had a hard time of it by ourselves.” The commentary was cut off abruptly as bullets started flying and Maria and I hit the deck faster than we had ever moved in our lives. Jack ducked quickly, but the ship was moving far faster than the sailors could get a good shot. I had to question how good the aim was on the British Navy but couldn’t dwell too long.

As we moved quicker, I took Maria’s hand and pointed to the opposite end of the ship, knowing at this moment my least favorite man, Gillette, was about to get his due. We ran down the stairs and across the unsteady deck as quickly as possible, coming up to the bow just in time to see Gillette wave his hands around like an absolute idiot. “Abandon ship!” He yelled, and with not a moment to spare, jumped over into the cool water, swimming away as he and the others bobbed just out of reach while the _Interceptor_ smashed through the long boat.

“Shouldn’t have come back,” I said, shaking my head, then pulled off my hat to wave at the sailors in the water. A few splashed water towards us and shouted obscenities but there wasn’t much they could do to stop us now. “Well, that was certainly more exciting to be a part of than I thought it would be.”

I turned to move back towards the helm, where Jack and Will were beginning to tie things off and set our course in the direction of the fated Tortuga, when Maria started to speak. “I’m really proud of you. You have shown great feats of strength today,” She started to make her voice sound choked up and I turned to face her, shaking my head quickly.

“Don’t you dare.” I said, trying to make my voice sound stern while she cleared her throat dramatically. “I mean it.” I tried to keep the giggles from my own voice, but it didn’t matter.

With a force her in voice that belayed her ten plus years we’d spent together in choir, Maria started to serenade not only me but our companions as well. “Taylor, did I ever tell you you’re my hero? You’re everything I wish that I could be.” Sweeping her hands dramatically, I ran from her voice, trying to keep the tears of laughter from flowing. “I could fly higher than an eagle, for you are the wind beneath my wings.”

She was right behind me, and I looked away from both Jack and Will’s confused faces, giving in to the urge to expel some of the stress of the day’s events. “It might have appeared to go unnoticed, but I’ve got it all here in my heart.” I pulled out all the stops in my drama inventory, putting my hand over my heart, and making my voice sound more operatic than strictly necessary. “I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it, I would be nothing without you.”

“Did you ever know that you’re my hero,” We sang together, grasping arms, hiccoughing as the laughter broke through as well. “You’re everything I wish I could be. And I could fly higher than an eagle for you are the wind beneath my wings.” We held the last note for an absurdly long time, gasping for breath at the end as we both collapsed to the deck with giggles.

“I have never in my life been more proud of you,” I made my voice gruffer, trying to sound like our favorite characters from the tv show _Psych_. “But I do think we may have just alienated our man-crushes.”

We each turned to look up at the helm, where Will and Jack were staring at us as if we’d grown three heads and told them we were going to get married. Maria pushed herself off the ground, brushing the dirt and sand from her bottom, before nodding to herself. “Worth it.” She stuck a hand out towards me, helping me up, and together we made our way to the helm.

“Love, if I wasn’t sure before, I’d say you’re touched in the head.” Jack said matter-of-factly, and I rolled my eyes whilst striding to the helm and grabbing one rung of the wheel. “What do you think you’re doing?’

“Steering this ship to our next adventure, of course.” I said, raising my eyebrows at him. It was his turn to roll his eyes at me, while he gently nudged me away, pointing towards where Will was tying off a rope on the deck below.

“Why don’t you make yourself useful elsewhere? The ship already has a Captain and I’ll do the navigating.” He faced forward again, but I could tell he was glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

“I’m not much for manual labor. Why don’t I just sit here and take in the view?” I looked him up and down, then made a face as if I was uninterested, and turned my back to him to face the bow of the ship again. He huffed out a noise of annoyance, and I grinned though he couldn’t see me. How I had started to love messing with him.

“When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father.” Will was polishing his sword, much to my filthy friend Maria’s interest, casually keeping the storyline going despite our interrupting. His voice was just a touch too casual, and I peeked out at where Jack was adjusting a few ropes down on the deck on Will’s other side. He looked uninterested at best.

“Is that so?” He responded, moving across the deck and passing behind Will.

This, however, was not a good enough answer for our dear William. “My father, Bill Turner?” He called out, standing and turning towards the Captain. Jack had walked away, coming back up towards the steps near me. “In the jail, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that’s what I wanted I didn’t press the matter. I’m not a simpleton, Jack, you knew my father.”

Jack, who had started wrapping a rope around an anchoring point, paused in his action and rocked back slightly on his heels. I held tight on the wheel, feeling the real time tension of this moment. Maria was walking slowly up the stairs, having followed the moment from below.

“I knew him.” Jack said, standing and coming in close to Will. I felt my heart flutter at the serious look on his face, wondering if I could control myself or if I needed a dunk in the ocean. Maria caught my look and rolled her eyes at my lustful thoughts. I righted my mind and got my attention focused back on the matter at hand. “Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner; everyone else called him ‘Bootstrap,’ or ‘Bootstrap Bill.’”

He hopped down from his spot, fixing me with a look and taking the wheel from my hand. Will was giving his back a confused look, muttering the nickname as he did so. Jack, however, seemed unworried.

“Good man. Good pirate. I swear you look just like him.” He turned to face Will, then quickly looked back to his front.

“Jack, for real?” I said, shaking my head at him while he gave me a ‘quiet down’ look.

“It’s not true. He was a merchant sailor; a good respectable man who obeyed the law.” Will’s voice was grating as I shot him a sympathetic look, and then caught Jack leaning back some as if he couldn’t belief Will’s naivety. We locked eyes, and I gave him my best warning face, but he had had enough of this conversation. And probably Will’s general demeanor towards pirates as well.

“He was a bloody pirate – a scallywag.” Jack turned quickly, his voice annoyed and dreads swinging. Maria stepped back as Will drew his sword, coming to stand by me as we watched Jack stiffen and his annoyance cross into genuine irritation.

“My father was _not_ a pirate.” Will emphasized, the sword swinging dangerously close to Jack’s hat. The pirate Captain worked his jaw, sending his eyes heavenward as the grip on the wheel tightened.

“Put it away, son. It’s not worth you getting beat again.” Jack’s voice was resigned, almost like he was reigning every ounce of strength into not swinging the wheel around to knock Will into the ocean. Although, that’s exactly what he was about to do.

“You didn’t beat me.” Will said, and Maria sighed audibly at this. “You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I’d kill you.”

“Not much incentive for him to fight fair then, is it?” I asked before Jack could as he turned to look at Will disbelievingly. As much as I stanned Will Turner, it was moments like these that made me long for the tougher version we’d seen when the world had been introduced to Dead Man’s Chest.

Taking the opportunity as it arose, Jack pushed Maria and I down into a crouch, before swinging the wheel violently in a fell swoop, the sail coming across and knocking into Will, who had to hold tight to keep from falling off. Maria gasped, moving closer to where Will was holding.

“Jack!” She shouted, seeing her love dangle from the sturdy piece of wood over quite a bit of open ocean. There was no indication of land for miles.

“Everything is under control, Miss Bloom.” He said to her, bending down to pick of Will’s forgotten sword. He walked closer to the side of the ship, his anger floating around him like a cloak. “Now as long as you’re just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these – what a man can do, and what a man can’t do.”

“Like keep the supposed love of his life from marrying a pompous git?” I murmured to Maria, who shook her head in agreement to my musing.

Jack, for the most part, ignored my interjection. “For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can’t.” He set the sword’s point into the ship, grabbing hold of the wheel in one hand and swaggering around. The anger was starting to dissipate once he realized Will could no longer snark back. “But pirate is in your blood boy, so you’ll have to square with that someday.”

“Sooner really than anyone would think.” I said again, and this time Maria elbowed me in the ribs, causing me to double-over. “Jesus Christ!” I barked out, glaring at my friend.

“Don’t reveal plot points, you dunce.” She whispered furiously, and I shrugged her off, rolling my eyes.

“As if Jack hadn’t already figured him out.” I whispered back, trying to avoid another attack to the stomach.

“Now, me, for example. I can let you drown, but I can’t bring this ship into Tortuga all by my onesies, savvy?” Jack tapped the sword into the deck again for emphasis, and a little I think to dull the blade just in case, before turning to look at Maria and me. “And I don’t think you lot will be too helpful in docking a ship. So,” He turned back and swung the wheel again before we could make a retort to our docking prowess. Will smashed to the ground and tried to right himself. “Can you sail under the command of a pirate, or can you not?”

Jack flipped the sword so that the handle was facing Will and the blade was resting dangerously in his hand. I tried not to be impressed but failed slightly. “Tortuga?” Will asked, confusion at being given back his sword and the destination of choice coloring his voice.

“Aye, Tortuga.” Jack said, smiling broadly, gold teeth glinting in the setting sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So an updated Chapter 4! I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. This chapter is the biggest deviance from the original because, well, the original is kind of unreadable and all over the place. Which I guess is fair seeing as I was 16 when I wrote it, now have a degree in English Lit and Language, and have aged *slightly* since then. Hopefully, this updated version is more enjoyable to read, and more interesting, as it follows the main story a little closer. Personally, I think it's better but I'm always open to the discussion! 
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading and trying it out, and there is more to come...and soon! See you for a rewritten chapter 5 in 3...2...1....


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